Ammunition-shell-feeding machine



H. I. BRAGDON. AMMuNmoN SHELL FEEDING MAcHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1919.

, LQSAW, lPanama Mar. 7,1922.`

SHEETS-SHEET l.

M4 l@ M gli #Wwf/Vf!- H. l. BRAGDON. A MMuNlTloN SHELL FEEDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IUNE26. 1919.

1,408,497, Patenteamr. 7,1922` s sugars-SHEET 2.

H. J. BRAGDON.

AMMUNITION SHELL FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F|LEn1uNE26 .1919.

, j Patented Mar. 7,1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STATES FAT ric.

AMMUNI'IION-SHELL-FEEDING MACHINE.

iaoeaev.

.To all w hom t may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT J. BnAcDoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alton, county of Madison, State of Illinois, have invented a certa-in new and useful Ammunition-Shell-Feeding Machine, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

rlhis invention relates generally to material feeding-machines and, more particularly` to a certain new and useful machine especially adapted for handling and feeding ammunition shells during the manufacture thereof.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a machine comprising mechanism capable. of efficiently picking up the shells and automatically successively feeding` or discha-rgingthe shells with their ends relatively disposed in the same direction.

vlil/lith the above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in the novel form, construction, arrangement7 and combination of parts hereinafter described and afterwards pointed out in the claims.

vin the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, the view being taken approximately on the line 1-1, Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the line 2 2, Figure l. with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmental perspective view of the machine, showing a selected shell as it is picked up or in its first step of movement;

Figure 4 is a similar view, showing the selected shell as it is guided and carried out ofthe mass; Y,

Figure 5 is a similar view, showing the selected shell carried or moved to overlie an open-mouthed discharge chute and the.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Application filed June 2G, `1919. Serial No. 306,959.

Referring now to vthe said drawings, in whichlike reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a suitable base adapted to be bolted or otherwise rigidly fixed to and upon a Suitable support. Forming part of base l, is a yoke 2 preferably inclined to the horizontal, as shown. Fixed in and supported by the yoke 2, is a hopper 3, whose bottom is correspondingly inclined rearwardly and downwardly, whereby shells or other materials delivered or dropped into the hopper will move by gravity toward its lower or rear end. Preferably the hopper 3 is constructed of suitable sheet metal and of semicylindrical section, with its top and both ends open.

Fitted and suitably fixed within the hopper t intermediate its ends, is a diaphragm 4 preferably of circular or disk form and fianged rearwardly' at its periphery. Formed in the diaphragm 4 at and adjacent the inclined bottom of the hopper 3 and preferably wholly tov one side of the longitudinal median line thereof, is a hole or aperture 5; and provided in the hopper 8 to the rear of the diaphragm 4, is an open-top shellreceiver 6, which extends through the bottom of thehopper 3 on the opposite side of the. longitudinal median line thereof, and which has connected thereto and fo-rms substantially apart of a tube 7 which, in turn, leads to a loading or other machine or other place where it is desired to deliver the handled shells. v

Suitably formed on the rear face of the vdiaphragm 4, is a seat 8, upon which a suitable'housing 9` is seated and fixed to the diaphragm 4 by means such as' the screws 10. Extending rearwardly from the housing 9 is a` sleeve l1 carrying at; its rear or free end a fixed disk 12. This fixed disk l2 is disposed ladjacent the rear end of the hopper, but is spaced therefrom at its periphery7 as shown, to receive and accommodate between its periphery and the hopper the ammunition-shells or other articles or materials being'handled, disk 12 having a diameter somewhat less than .the diameter of the hopper for such purpose. The peripheral edge 1.3 of the disk l2, which at the rear of the disk is cut away or stepped, as at 14, for purposes shortly appearing, performs an important function in the machine and will be hereinafter appropriately designated the track the gap, and arranged in 'and 'registering' with the gap at its upper end, is an openended chute or way 16,' which inclines down-V wardly and somewhat forwardly and whose lower end stands over, but isv spaced from, the upper end of the receiver 6 of the tube 7.

Located in the rear of, but closely a-djacent to, the fixed disk 12, and rotatable in a plane approximately parallel with the plane of the disk 12, is a rotary disk or carrierv17 having a stub-shaft 18 journaled for rotation in the sleeve 11.- Fixed on the forward end of the shaft 18 and located within the housing 9, is a worm-wheel 19, which engages with. the housing 9 as shown, to hold` the carrier-disk 17 against axial movementor displacement. lVithin the housing 9, in mesh with the wheel 19, is a worm 20 fixed on or integral with a rotary shaft 21 suitably Vjournaled in the machine. The shaft 21 extends at one end outside the hopper 3, `as shown, and carries at its outer end suitable'variable speed 1uilleys 22 adapted forbelt or other driven connection with a suitable source of power.

f The rotary disk or carrier 17 is thickened orV enlarged at its periphery, as at 23, and formed or provided on its inner surfacenext its periphery with a rearwardly and inwardly inclined or beveled face 24; and at regular intervals aroundy 'the disk 17 or circumferentially,V so to speak, there are xed to the disk 17 at its said face 24 paddles 25, which extend .forwardly into the hopper 3 in the said space )rovided between the periphery of the fixed disk 12 and the hopper and override the track 13. Also fixed to the disk 17 at its face 24;, and respectively suitably adjacent andspaced forwardly from each paddle 25 in the direction of rotation of the disk 17, are pins 26, which extend forwardly relatively to the hopper and preferably vat right angles to the plane of the face 24. Y.

r\ssuming,.for illustration, the, hopper to be secured in position to receive shells dropped from a base-fitting machine and the delivery-tube 7 with its discharge end over a shell-loading machine andthe shaft 21' driven, that .isrotated,through Vthe pulleys 22 and a belt-connection (not shown) ex.-V tended to power, ythe operation of the machine is as follows: Y

Dueto the inclination of the hopper, the shells receivedV therein move by gravity to the diaphragm 4 and to and through the hole or aperture 5 therein to the rear of the hopper, the hopper or aperture 5 being preferably of such dimensions as to limit the Vflow or supply of shells to aY number in which the mass weight does not interfere with the proper functioning of the track 13 and paddles 25. The inclined or beveled face 24 of the rotarydisk'l forms with the bottom of the hopper what might well be described asa trough, and the shells, so moving, as described, to the rear of the hopper, move into this trough and temporarily there reside in the Vpath ofthe paddles 25 and beneath the'track 13, as illustrated in Figure 3. The disk 17 rotating, the paddles 25 successively engage and pick up the shells one by one, each paddle moving its picked up or socalled selected shell over and upon the track 13, as illustrated in Figure l, until the shell, onV the continued movement of the disk 17 reaches the gap l5 or until the shellV has reached approximately the position illustrated in Figure 5, the so picked up or selected shells being maintained in lengthwise position upon, and as they are carried around on, the track 13 by reason of the inclination to the` horizontal of the disks 12 and 17.V Y

r1`he shells in the hopper form a comglomerate mass, and the paddles 25 gather or pick up and move the shells to the gap 15 without end for end definition. To the end now,A that the shells may be delivered to the` loading *machineV with their ends relatively disposed in the same direction, I' relate the pins 26 to the paddles 25, each piu constituting'4 or providing a socalled shell-teeter. l

ltwill be noted that the pins 26 project at their forward end relatively close to the disk 12 and, reference being had to the top of the machine, somewhat below the plane of ,the track 13, the forward projecting ends of the pins 26 being accommodatedby the step or cut-out 14 in the disk 12.

Now, as each particular or so-called selected shell reaches and is moved over the gap 15 by its particular paddle 25, the shell first falls or drops upon, and is temporarily suspended over the gap by the particular adj acentpin 26. Theshell then, irrespective of which of its ends is presented forwardly on the pin, referencebeing had to the direetion of travel of the disk 17, will be tipped over the pin in one or Vthe other direction, by reason of the preponderance of weight at its base, toV slide from the pin base 'downward into the chute, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, and from the chute into the receiver 6 and to the loading machine. Advantage being so taken of the fact that all metallic shells are considerably heavier at one end, on Yaccount of surplus material left to form the head for holding the primer or firing-cap, the shells are thus, described, automatically successively des livered or discharged from the machine with their ends relatively disposed inthe same direction. Y

The present machine is capable of handling and feeding without alteration or change a wider range of lengths, diameters,y and shapes of metallic shells than any other machine of which I am aware; more precisely, the present machine is capable of handling and feeding without alteration or change shot-gun or paper-tube shells of 28- gauge up to and including lO-gauge, and it may be stated that the receiver 6 and tube 7, as well as also the chute 16 for the greater part of its length, are preferably of a diameter or size sufficient only to accommodate the passage therethrough of a single stream end to end of shells of the gauges named. As before stated, the chute 16 has its lower or reduced portion spaced at its lower end from the upper end of the receiver 6, into which receiver the shells fall with some velocity due to their drop; it may now be added that such space is of a width preferably approximating oneand one-half times the length of the longest shell which the particular inachine is designed to handle and feed. Consequently, it will be noted that, upon stoppage of the shells at the delivery end of the tube 7, the shells will not jam in the tube as the carrier 17 and its paddles 25 continue to operate, but will fall back into the hopper at the said space or gap provided between the chute 16 and receiver 6, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. It may be stated also that any shells engaged by the paddles and not fully positioned upon the track as described will fall by gravity from the track and back into the hopper or trough before reaching the gap or chute, and that, due to the fact that the shells are continually being carried by the paddles away from. the discharge-tube or receiver, it is practically impossible for the shells to pile up around or otherwise interfere with the dischargetube or receiver.

It will be noted further that the vpaddles 25 are preferably disposed, as shown, at an angle to the axis or center line of the disk 17 and that the pins 26 incline downwardly and inwardly. The paddles and pins being so disposed, not onlyv will the shells tilt upon the pins without hanging or clinging to the pins and paddles, but also the paddles are enabled to more facilely ride or travel through the mass of shells and with approximately just sufficient agitation to guarantee a flow without damaging the shells from or by eX- cessive agitation. The present machine has been found from actual use to feed ninety per cent or better, that is to say, ninety of every one hundred paddles will deliver shells to the gap 15, such performance insuring a steady flow of shells at low speed and with agitation of the shells reduced approximately to a minimum. To permit foreign matter, metallic dust, and the like to find convenient outlet or escape from the machine, I preferably slot the hopper, as at 27, in the base of the described trough. I may also add that the disk-face 24 is so beveled and the pins 26 correspondingly so located as to permit and afford a ready and quick release of the shells into the gap without hanging or binding.

While I have herein specifically described my machine in connection with the feeding of ammunition-shells to a loading machine, for which use vit is especially adapted, it is to'be understood that the machine may equally well be used for feeding various other materials or articles to machines of various type, such, for instance, as presses, trimmers, headers, and the like. And in Figures 6 and 7, I show the machine slightly modified and thereby adapted for handling such articles as bullet-slugs. As so modified, I substitute for the pins 26 upon the disk or carrier 17 teeter-members in the form of plates 26 and relate thereto upon the disk or carrier 17, as shown, paddles 25. Each plate 26 is cut away within its area to provide a main aperture or slot 28 and communicating oppositely and centrally disposed extensions 28 and 28 at its ends, main slot 28 having a width slightly greater than the diameter of the particular slug, each reduced extension 28 and 28 having a width suflicient only to accommodate the head of the slug, and main slot 28 'combined or together with one or the other of its said extensions having a length somewhat less than the length of the particular slug, as seen in Figure 7. As seen in Figure 6, each paddle 25 is so positioned upon the disk 17 relatively to its companion teeter-plate 26 as to extend at its lower edge preferably approximately flush with the rear edge of, and due to its inclination to somewhat overhang, rear slot-extension 28. It is also to be noted that both the plate 26 and paddle 25 travel with the disk 17, the plate 26 further being so positioned upon the disk 17 relatively to the track 13 that the trackr 13 forms or provides, as it might be described, a false bottom for the plate-slot as the plate is being carried over the track in the rotations of the disk 17. Consequently, as the slugs are picked up and positioned by the paddles upon the plates, the slugs are prevented from falling through the -plateslots by the track disposed Vtherebeneath and thus travel* with the disk 17 until each respective plate is positioned above the gap 15. When so positioned above the gap 15, irrespective of which end thereof is positioned forwardly, the reduced end of the slug will first drop through one or the other of the reduced slot-extensions, the body of the shell or slug being teetered on onev or the other edge of the main slot 28 and the shell thus dropping head down into the chute 16 and from 'thence out of the machine. Thus I again deliver such articles from the machine with their ends definitely disposed in the same direction. I might add that the slugis held lengthwise upon the plate 26 by the beveled face 24 of the carrier 17, the plate 26 being tilted or disposed slightly out of horizontah so that when in position as illustrated in Figure 7,

the slug will roll back and rest against thev face 2a of the carrier, which face is so related to the plate as to maintain the .slug in proper position relatively to the plateslot to fall therethrough as described as soon as the plate has been carried around above the gap 15 in the track. It frequently happens in actual practice that unformed slugs become mixed with the good or properly formed slugs. Should an improperly formed slug be picked up by one of the paddles and positioned as described upon its companion plate, the slug would not drop or fall through the plate-slot as the plateslot is positioned above the gap. In such case, the slug would remain on the plate and Vbe carried again on the track and down the opposite side of, and then into, the. hopper. Although not here shown, it will be evident that, if' a suitable opening were provided in the machine, such scrap or improperly formed slug would then drop from the machine. Thus my machine becomes and performs the function, so to speak,y of an automatic inspector especially when employed in connection with materials of this type.

l am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and describedv Without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A feeding-machine Vfor ammunition shells and the like including, in combination, a-trough, a fixed annular track having,

a gap, 'and an annular series of spaced pad-` dles adapted for movement throughtheY toits gap without a definite end for end dis-Y position of the shells, and means for causingA the shells at said gap to successively dischargefrom thev machine with their ends disposed definitely in the same direction.

3. A feeding machine for ammunitionshells and the like including, in combination, a troughV for the shells, a fixed annular track having a gap, means comprising an annular series of spaced paddles adapted for movement through the trough for picking up and conveying the shells one by one from the trough and along the track to its gap Without a definite end for end disposition of the shells, and means for teetering .the shells at said gap to cause the same to successively discharge from the machine With their ends disposed definitely in the same direction.

4. A feeding-machine for ammunition shells and the like including, in combination, a trough for the shells, a fixed track having a gap, a series of spaced paddles adapted for movement through the trough for picking up the shells and conveying the same one by one from the trough and along the track to its gap without a definite end for end disposition of the shells, and means comprising a series of teeter-pins for causing the shells at said gap to successively discharge from the machine with Vtheir ends disposed definitely in the same direction.

5. A feeding-machine for ammunition shells and the like including, in combination, a trough for the shells, a fixed annular track having a gap, an annular series of spaced paddles adapted for movement through the trough for picking up the shells and conveying the same one by one from the trough and along the track to its gap without a definite end for end disposition of the shells, and means comprising a series of teeter-pins forc'ausing the shells at said gap to successively discharge 'from the machine with their ends disposed definitely in the same direction.v

6. A feeding-machine for ammunition shells and the like including, in combination, a trough for the shells, a fixed disk providing at its periphery Va track having a gap, a rotary disk, means for rotarily actuating the rotary disk, an annular series of spaced paddles carried by the rotary disk for movement through the trough for picking uprthe shells and conveying the same one by one from the trough and along the track to its gap Without a definite end for end disposition of the shells. and an annular series of teeter-pins carried by the rotary disk and disposed respectively adjacent the paddles for causing the shells at said gap to successively discharge from the machine with their ends disposed definitely in the same direction. u

7. feeding-marhine for ammunition shells and the like including, in combination, a trough for the shells, a fixed disk providing at its periphery an annular track having a gap, a rotary disk provided adjacentits periphery with a beveled face, means for rotarilyV actuating the rotary disk, an anfrom the beveled face of the rotary disk and disposed respectively adjacent the paddles for causing the shells at said gap to successively discharge from the machine With their ends disposed delinitely in the same direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s ecification.

H RBERT J. BRAGDON. 

